Government

Two of the three Democrats in the hunt for the 5th District U.S. House seat visited Lancaster on Thursday night trying to convince members of the local Democratic Party why they are the best choice in the upcoming special election.
Les Murphy told the crowd of about 30 partisans he is the statesman that District 5 needs. A statesman, he said, differs from a politician in that a statesman takes care of those who elect him.

Tonight’s scheduled debate among the three Democrats seeking the state’s vacant 5th District congressional seat has been canceled.
No specific reason was given, and it is not known if the debate will be rescheduled for a later date.
“We had to pull the plug on the town hall meeting,” said Keith Grey, chairman of the Lancaster County Democratic Party. The debate had been scheduled for 7 p.m. at USC Lancaster’s Stevens Auditorium.

Congressional candidate Ralph Norman made his pitch to about 45 people at a Monday night campaign event at historic Craig Farm in Lancaster.
Norman, a 63-year-old Rock Hill real estate developer, is one of seven Republicans running for the 5th District seat vacated by Mick Mulvaney, who was appointed White House budget director of the Office of Management and Budget.
The weather was perfect for the outdoor event, where Norman mingled with the crowd, gave a short speech and answered questions from the audience.

Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum will be in Lancaster this week to boost Tom Mullikin’s bid for the state’s vacant 5th District congressional seat.
Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, will attend a business meet and greet from 7:30-8:45 a.m. at the Edwards-Scott House, 200 Elm St. Local construction company owner Kim Lineberger will host the campaign stop.
Those wishing to attend should RSVP www.tommullikin.com/eventsrsvp and select “Lancaster, April 6” from the drop-down menu.

The race for the 5th District congressional seat is in full swing, with two more candidates courting Lancaster County voters over the weekend.
Chad Connelly and Tommy Pope appeared at campaign events in Lancaster and Kershaw. Sherri Few and Ralph Norman stumped in the county last week, and Tom Mullikin is coming this Thursday.
The five are among the seven Republicans candidates in the special election to fill the seat vacated by Mick Mulvaney. The other two GOP candidates are Indian Land attorney Kris Wampler and Ray Craig of Lake Wylie.

COLUMBIA – The push to allow medical marijuana use has likely died for this legislative session, after an S.C. House committee chose not to vote on the proposal this week.
Rep. Brandon Newton (R-45), who sits on the committee, said the Compassionate Care Act probably lacks the support to advance in its current form.
“It’s an emotional issue,” Newton said. “We have parents with kids who are having seizures, and if marijuana oils will help, I’m all for that part of it.

Full-time city of Lancaster workers are getting another paid day off each year with the addition of a personal day to the municipality’s personnel policy.
It’s a use it or lose it,” said Lancaster City Administrator Flip Hutfles, on the March 14 measure unanimously approved by city council.
The change means that in addition to 11 scheduled holidays, city employees will be allowed to take off one floating personal day that’s not charged as a vacation day or as sick leave, though it must be used by the end of the year.

Two of the seven Republicans competing for the 5th District U.S. House seat courted Lancaster County GOP members Thursday night at their monthly meeting.
Sheri Few said education would be her top priority if elected, and she lashed out at one of her GOP opponents as a Democrat. She said she is proudly politically incorrect, declaring that the Confederate flag should still be flying on the State House grounds.
“They are destroying our history and our Southern heritage,” Few said. “They are rewriting history.”

Former U.S. Rep. John Spratt is backing Archie Parnell in the upcoming special election to fill the vacant seat for the state’s Fifth Congressional District.
Spratt, a Democrat who held the seat from 1983 to 2011, said Parnell was clearly the best choice.
A lifelong resident of York County, Spratt, and his wife, Jane, were among the 100 to attend Parnell’s recent campaign kickoff event in York.

The S.C. House’s plan to stabilize the state’s in-the-red pension plan is a double whammy for local municipalities and the school district, as well as their workers.
And that isn’t sitting well with at least two members of the local legislative delegation.
While the bill passed the House, local lawmakers Brandon Newton (R-45) and Richie Yow (R-53) voted against it, citing how it directly impacts local governments.